Eight CSN players sign with Division I schools

The name of the school might have changed, but the talent on the baseball team has stayed the same at the College of Southern Nevada, formerly the Community College of Southern Nevada.

A school-record eight players from the Coyotes, who won the 2003 junior college national championship, signed with Division I schools Wednesday in the early signing period.

Local products and right-handed pitchers Tyler Lavigne (Centennial High School) and Drew Leary (Sierra Vista) joined CSN shortstop Easton Gust in signing with San Diego State.

Right-hander Colby Shreve, a Bonanza graduate and an eighth-round draft pick of the Atlanta Braves this year, signed with Arkansas, which also landed Coyotes catcher Braden Schlehuber.

Cimarron-Memorial product Brandon Trodick, an outfielder, committed to UNR, and CSN outfielder Tyson Mehlhoff signed with UNLV.

Devin Shepherd, an outfielder who played for Oklahoma last season but will play for CSN this season in hopes of getting drafted, signed with Oregon State.

Of the eight signees, only Lavigne and Schlehuber haven’t been drafted yet, but Coyotes coach Tim Chambers said he expects all eight players to “have good enough years to be drafted again.”

“Usually freshmen don’t have tremendous years, but they turn the corner the next year,” said Chambers, who guided the Coyotes to a 41-18 record and a No. 16 national ranking last season. “I expect a lot out of these guys next year.”

Lavigne went 8-2 with a 0.79 ERA pitching out of the Coyotes’ bullpen last season and was named the Scenic West Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year and a junior college All-American. Leary went 5-4 with a 3.72 ERA, and Shreve finished 5-2 with a 2.78 ERA.

Gust hit .286 and made only eight errors in 59 games.

Chambers, who expects three or four more CSN players to sign with Division I schools, said close to 90 Coyotes players have signed with Division I schools in the past nine years.

“We’ve had to sell our program as getting players ready to take the next step,” he said. “We know playing at CSN isn’t a kid’s ultimate goal in baseball, but it certainly is a great steppingstone to get where you want to go.”

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-0354.